power and authority

Rahanuma Islam MithilaID:16121035Department of Development StudiesFaculty of Arts & Social Science Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

OUT LINE What is Power? Concepts of Power Sources of Power What is Authority? Concepts of Authority Weber… 3 types of legitimacy Conclusion

POWER

What is Power?•The ability to control and/or influence people and resources

•The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way.

•The ability or right to control people or things.

Concepts of Power

Social power

Cultural power

Economic power

Political power

Legal power

Social power

• use of power to influence people who have control over who becomes, or remains, a decision maker

• Linked to political power • Linked to cultural power (have social power bc are cultural icons)

• E.g. charismatic politicians, sportspeople, entertainers, academics.

Cultural power

•Use such power to gain an advantage – economic or legal – for the group

•E.g. used by religious bodies, ethnic minority groups, lobby groups that have as their basis sex or sexuality.

Economic power

•Held by a person or entity that has the money, means of production or capital to influence law and decision-makers

•Low level (eg ‘breadwinner’ of family) or at high levels (majority shareholder in company)

•Use such power to gain political or legal

Political power

• Held by the person or group that is able to control the running and policy development of a decision-making or controlling body.

• Such power is used by favouring a person/orgsn in a decisions-making process

• E.g union leaders, school prefects, committee chairpersons, politicians

Legal power• Where the person/group has the ability and authority to

create sanctions or inhibit the rights of others – where a group or person can enforce its rights or create or apply the law.

• Other groups without genuine law making power but with pol and eco power – e.g. power of media and financial institutions to alter the law

• E.g. parliament and courts

• Reward Power: Influence staff by rewarding a desired behavior• Coercive Power: Influence the staff by punishing them for

undesirable behavior.• Legitimate power: Influence behavior of staff because of his/her

formal position (principal). • Referent Power: Influence behavior based on the staff’s liking

and identification with the administrator• Expert power: Influence subordinate’s behavior based on

specialized knowledge or skill

Sources of Power

•The legitimate or acceptable use of power

•the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience

•a person or organization having political or administrative power and control

What is Authority?

Concepts of Authority

Customary

Statutory

Common law

Delegated

• Authority to wield power as a result of history or tradition

• Historically, men over women, non-indigenous over indigenous

• Often recognised at common law • E.g. by parents over children, employers over employees, the state over the individual (eg police, gvt officers, defence etc)

Customary authority

• Held by persons and orgnization that are provided with power by plt,

• E.g customs agencies and tax office.

Statutory authority

•Authority provided to persons and groups by the courts

•E.g employers once had common law authority to completely control the lives of employees; the position of men in society was reinforced by ability to ‘own’ a wife at common law

Common law authority

• Authority given to subordinate, or lesser, people or organization to make decisions or principles on their own behalf.

• Used to increase administrative efficiency of an organization .

• E.g junior staff in business organization to manage a budget without having to bother managing director. Local council given delegated authority to make law

Delegated authority

•Traditional - conferred by custom and accepted practice

•Charismatic - charisma (gift of grace) and extraordinary personal qualities of an individual

•Rational-legal - power authorised by certain legal and bureaucratic procedures

Weber… 3 types of legitimacy

•Be polite and clear.•Explain reasons when requesting something from your staff.

•Respond to concerns of staffers•Use legitimate authority.

Don’t abuse your power, just be nice…

THANK YOU

ANY QUESTION ????